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Maui, Hawaii The Kapalua Bay Hotel

Maui was formed by two volcanoes and is often called the Valley Island because of the many canyons that cut into the two mountains. The western part of Maui contains the West Maui Mountains, and the resort areas of Lahaina/Kaanapali, and Kapalua.

Lahaina, formerly a famous whaling port, is now packed with art galleries, shops and restaurants; Kaanapali Beach is right nearby. This area offers the widest choices of places to stay, including: the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maui Hotel, Marriott Maui Resort and Ocean Club, The Westin Maui, and Lahaina Shores Beach Resort. There's lots of golf around Kaanapali. Kapalua is a bit farther north than Kaanapali. Here you'll find the Ritz Carlton Kapalua, and the Kapalua Bay Hotel.

The eastern part of Maui is dominated by Haleakala, a dormant volcano whose height is 10,023 ft. To the south is the town of Kihei and the resort area of Wailea, where you can stay at the Grand Wailea Resort, Four Seasons Resort Maui, Fairmont Kea Lani Maui, Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort, and The Palms at Wailea. Wailea is also a golfer's paradise.

The road south of Wailea goes past the "big beach" at Makena, where you can find the Maui Prince Hotel Makena Resort. The road ends a short distance past Makena, on the back side of Haleakala, where the pano above was taken.

There aren't a lot of hotels and resorts on Maui's north shore, but this area retains a special magic because of that. As you drive the Hana Highway, you pass through sleepy surfer towns like Paia. One famous beach along the way, a favorite with windsurfers, is Hookipa.

Sunsets in this area are quietly spectacular. Somehow there doesn't seem to be anything that quite matches a Maui sunset.

A few minutes further down the Hana Highway (unfortunately we didn't have time to drive all the way down to Hana on this trip), about half a mile down a path behind a fruit stand, you can find a place called Twin Falls. We found some folks having a great time swinging off hanging vines like Tarzan, and jumping into the water at the bottom of the falls.

Further down the Hana Highway you'll find black sand beaches, more waterfalls, and eventually, the town of Hana, the Seven Sacred Pools, and the Hotel Hana Maui.